Inflator for life preservers and the like



l Filed Sept. 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug 16 1956 F. L. DAVIS 3,266,668

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Aug. 16, 1966 Y F. L. DAVIS 3,265,568

INFLATOR FOR LIFE'PRSERVERS AND THE LIKE Filed sept. 22, 195;: 2 Sheets-sheet 2 PE1 j '[37 [25 42 40 INVENTOR. FRANK L. .DAV/.S

" ,4 Trop/v5 y United States Patent 3,266,668 INFLATOR FUR LIFE PRESERVERS AND THE LIKE Frank L. Davis, Fort Salonga Road, Northport, Long Island, NX. Filed Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,365 11 Claims. (Cl. 222-5) The invention herein disclosed relates to pneumatic life preservers and articles of similar character and is concerned with the means for effecting the inflation of such articles.

Special objects of the invention are to provide an inator of simple, low cost construction which can be made to operate automatically or `be manually operable and which when not in service may be confined to an inoperative safe condition.

Other special objects of the invention are to make such an inflator in a small, compact light weight form which will not take up much space and which may be readily combined and connected with the article to be inflated.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts through which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate present preferred embodiments of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration; all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one of the infiators, with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the inator as applied and in use on a life preserver or other article to be inflated.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device, `as on substantially the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 3, with the device cocked ready for firing.

FIG. 5 is a similar view with tion.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the latter.

The body of the device is shown in the form of a simple cylinder or tube 7, having a cylindrical chamber S closed at one end by a plug 9 and having a screw seat lil in the other end to receive the neck 11 of the gas bottle or cartridge 12 The firing pin is shown in the form of a hollow piston 13 operating in the opposite end of the cylinder 8 and having a sharp point 14 to penetrate the seal 15 of the capsule.

A special feature of this firing pin is that it has one or more passages 16, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 extending from the point or in the periphery of the same, back into the hollow piston portion so as to immediately pass released gas back into the cylinder, where it may pass out through one or more tubular mounting studs 17, into the body of the inflatable article 18, FIG. 2, such as a life preserver, raft or the like.

In the illustration, there are two mounting studs 17 and 19, FIGS. 2 and 3 extended through the wall 20 of the inflatable article and located, the first one, 17, to be in back of the hollow firing pin when the latter is projected as in FIG. 5 and the other to be in front of the pin so that there will be instantaneous full flow of inflating gas.

These mounting studs, one or the other, or both may have check valves incorporated therein if considered departs in the firing posisirable, but the firing chamber is completely sealed so such a valve or valves usually may not be considered necessary. In FIGS. 3 and 7, one stud, 17, is shown as of the valved type and the other, 19, is shown as a simple, open tube.

The spring for impelling the firing pin is indicated at 21, confined between the hollow firing pin and the end cap 9.

The firing pin is shown formed with a reduced cylindrical portion 22 `at the base of the pointed piercing end 14 and with an annular bevelled shoulder 23 in back of this reduced cylindrical portion for engagement by a bevelled end portion 24 of a transversely disposed trigger pin 25 This trigger pin is shown as slidingly sealed in a transverse bore 26 by an O-ring packing 27, completing the sealing of the firing chamber.

The firing pin is triggered by a release lever 28, which may be in the form of a relatively rigid spring strip biased by a spring 47, FIG. 4, protectively housed within a groove 29 on the side of the barrel and having an opening 30 in the mid-length portion engaged over the neck of the trigger pin beneath the head 31 on the end of the same, this lever also having an opening 32 in the inner end for free passage of a confining and tensioning screw 33.

To lock the device in the safe inoperative condition, a pin 34 is provided, extending across the guard channel 29 over the release lever, which normally may be provided with a cord or lanyard 35 by which it may be quickly removed.

The free end of the lever is shown equipped with an emergency lanyard 36 by which the firing lever 28 may be actuated at any time.

For full automatic operation, the firing lever is put under control of a fuse which is sensitive to water, heat or other condition relied on for effecting the automatic operation.

In the illustration, the fuse is in the form of a band or strip 37 of water soluble rayon or paper wrapped about the cylinder and the overstanding portion of the release lever and thus fully exposed to any water to which the infiator may be subjected.

Releasing action of the lever is assured by tensioning this spring lever in trigger releasing direction by the screw 33 bearing down on the end portion 38 of the lever which is offset by the bend 39 in the body of the lever.

This offset bend 39 in effect provides a fulcrum for the lever when tensioned by the screw 33 or spring 47, as will be apparent in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The two tubular mounting studs firmly secure the inator in fixed relation on the life preserver or other article, and spaced as they are shown, provide passage of infiating gas around both ends of the firing pin.

The open ended construction of the barrel enables easy cocking of the firing pin, before the gas cartridge is attached, by forcing the firing pin back against the spring by a tube inserted through the then open end of the barrel.

Being made up of but few simple parts, the device can be produced at low cost and being relatively small and compact, it is of light weight and occupies small space, adapting it Vfor use on many different inflatable articles.

The form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 differs from the first illustrated in that the release lever 40 extends straight out over the end of the barrel and in that the tape which is wrapped about this portion of the lever is made with only the sections 41, 42, sensitive to moisture.

In a preferred construction, the fuse band is waterproofed with the exception of the two narrow strips 41, 42, FIGS. 6 and 7, which are so spaced as to lie in the free space between lever 40 and the cylinder, clear of any contact with metal, so as not to be subject to condensation or sweating on the metal which possibly might be caused by temperature changes and might dissolve or weaken the fuse.

A further feature in this last illustrated form of the invention is that the fuse tape is caught in a notched portion 43 of the lever so that it cannot slip one way or the other.

Also there is provided a strong thread or cord 44, of nylon or the like, which is looped about the free, sensitive portions of the tape as shown at 45, so that when given a pull it will shear the tape, providing a form of emergency release.

To insure against any possibility of leakage about the trigger pin 25, it may be equipped with two or more O rings 46, as shown in FIG. 6, instead of a single O ring as first illustrated.

This construction affords full protection against high pressure gas released by the firing pin and which when so released is free for passage immediately into the article to be inflated.

I claim:

1. Intiator for life preservers and the like, comprising a firing tube,

a retractable spring impelled ring pin operable in one end of said tube,

trigger means positioned to restrain said tiring pin in the retracted position of the firing pin,

the opposite end of said firing tube being open for insertion of a tool for forcing the ring pin back into the retracted trigger restrained position,

said opposite end of the firing tube having a screw seat for the attachment of a gas iniiation cartridge theret0,

means for effecting release of said trigger means from restraining engagement with the firing pin,

said tiring tube having an outlet at the inner end of said screw seat for communication with an object to be inflated,

said trigger means including a shoulder on said firing a retractible trigger pin engageable with said shoulder and a trigger release lever for effecting release of said trigger pin from restraining engagement with said tiring a soluble fuse for holding said trigger lever in said restraining position,

said lever being biased in the releasing direction against the holding effect of said fuse, and

said fuse being in the form of a water soluble strip wrapped about said firing tube and lever and in exposed position for free contact with water in which the inator may be disposed.

2. The invention according to claim 1 with an emergency cord positioned to sever said fuse strip.

3. The invention according to claim 1 with a cord looped about said fuse for severing the same.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said fuse has insoluble as well as soluble portions and in which the soluble portions are located clear of the points of engagement with the trigger lever.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for confining said lever inactive includes a tape having infusible portions engaged with said lever and said cylinder and fusible portions free of the cylinder and lever.

6. The invention according to claim 1 with said lever having a notched portion and said tape being wrapped about the cylinder and lever and engaged in the notched portion of the lever.

7. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for effecting release of said lever includes a manually operative device and an automatically acting device and in which safety means is provided for holding said lever against release movement from either said manually operative device or said automatically acting device.

S. An inator for pneumatic devices comprising a tiring tube having means at one end for attachment of a gas capsule,

a firing pin operable in said tube into cooperative relation with a capsule attached to said tube,

release mechanism for confining said firing pin in inactive relation in said tube and including a part exposed on the outside of said tube and movable toward said tube for conning said firing pin in inactive position and away from said tube for effecting release on the tiring pin, and

a water soluble strip of material extending about said tube and said exposed part of said release mechanism for conning said release mechanism in said firing pin holding position of the same and subject to release on contact with water about said firing tube.

9. The invention according to claim 8 with said release iechanism including a lever extending along the firing tube and said water soluble strip including a tape wrapped about the tube and lever.

10. The invention according to claim 8 with said firing tube having tubular studs extending from one side of the same for attachment of the tiring tube to an article to be iniated and said tubular studs opening directly into said firing tube and providing passage for gas released into the firing tube, into said article to be inflated.

11. An iniiator for pneumatic articles comprising a firing tube having means at one end for attachment of a gas capsule thereto,

a ring pin operable in said tube, in the form of a piston having a capsule piercing pointed end provided with an opening therethrough for passage of gas released by a capsule to opposite sides of said pist0n,

tubular studs spaced longitudinally of said tube for attaching said firing tube to an article to be inated and means for effecting engagement with said tiring pin with a capsule attached to said tube and for positioning said piston in the tube with opposite sides of the same in communication with said spaced tubular studs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,127,624 4/1964 Kubit et al. 222--5 3,180,524 4/1965 Shepard et al 222-5 3,194,436 7/1965 Jaynes 222-5 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

11. AN INFLATOR FOR PNEUMATIC ARTICLES COMPRISING A FIRING TUBE HAVING MEANS AT ONE END FOR ATTACHMENT OF A GAS CAPSULE THERETO, A FIRING PIN OPERABLE IN SAID TUBE, IN THE FORM OF A PISTON HAVING A CAPSULE PIERCING POINTED END PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR PASSAGE OF GAS RELEASED BY A CAPSULE TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PISTON, TUBULAR STUDS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID TUBE FOR ATTACHING SAID FIRING TUBE TO AN ARTICLE TO BE INFLATED AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRING PIN WITH A CAPSULE ATTACHED TO SAID TUBE AND FOR POSITIONING SAID PISTON IN THE TUBE WITH OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SAME IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SPACED TUBULAR STUDS. 